MINNNEAPOLIS -- The Ridgewater Warriors will try and take out the No. 1 team in the North Division of Minnesota junior college basketball when they play the Vermilion Ironmen at 3 p.m. today.
It's the second of four games today in the Minnespta Community College Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at its customary site at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
The Warriors (14-12) lost to the Ironmen (19-7) at Ely in early December, 78-71. Eddie McPherson, a two-time Player-of-the-Week, scored 27 points in that game. The 6-3 guard from Cleveland, Ohio, led the North by averaging 21.6 ppoints-per-game with a super-heated 3-point percentage of 49.5 percent (53 of 107).
Incredibly, his accuracy from the arc is only third best on the team: Steve Birman is at 54.5 percent (55 of 101) and Adam Klabo hits at a 49.6 percent clip (59 of 119). McPherson also contributes 4.3 spg and 10.5 rpg. Vermilion's 225 three-pointers lead the state as well as their 71.6 free-throw percentage. Vermilion has good height, too, with 6-6 James Dozier averaging 8.3 rpg.
The Warriors can strike from outside, also, (136 3-pointers), but their meat-and-potatoes is getting underneath the defense. Forward Cory Nietfeld leads the team with a 15.6 ppg average and 10.8 rpg. Sophomore post Travis Schultz (9.3 rpg) gives Ridgewater both strength and shot blocking under the iron and often double-figure scoring. Sophomore guard Tim Dreier averages six assists per game.
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In the opposite bracket, No. 3-North Northland College of Thief River Falls plays No. 2-South Rochester.
